Margaretha
Geertruida Zelle alias Mata Hari was born in Leeuwarden (NL)
on 7 August 1876.

At the beginning of the
20th century she moved to France where she started a career as a nude
dancer. She became famous and moved in the highest circles of Europe. Her
fame made it easy to travel to various European countries. Even during
the war. So, the French Secret Service asked Mata Hari to mingle
with the Germans and find out as much as she could.

However, during her first mission
something went wrong and she was arrested by the British Intelligence
Service. All of her alibis were watertight, so the British agents had to
release her. In the meantime, the French too got suspicious.

It also became clear
that German army officers were paying her. Officially it was to keep
them company but the French intelligence office wasn't so sure about
that. When she tried to cross the French border, to visit one of her
lovers, she was arrested by the French Secret Service and interrogated.

During one of these long sessions, she succumbed and confessed to be a
German spy, known under the pseudonym of H21.
The trial that followed was nothing but a showcase. The French were
convinced that she was: "one of the greatest spies of the
century, responsible for the death of tens of thousands of
soldiers". She was found guilty and condemned to death. On 15
October 1917 she was shot by a firing squad.

Click
on the pictures to enlarge!
Use your BACK button
to get back to this page!